Trafficking victims may pay up to 30,000 euros to work in Finland

Workers trafficked for labour in Finland often pay between 10,000 and 30,000 euros to get there, an expert told Yle, describing how debt and fear of deportation can prevent victims from seeking help.

Police said on Friday that 11 Thai nationals were allegedly trafficked while doing forestry work in eastern Finland. The employer is suspected of misleading them about pay and working conditions and exploiting their dependent position. Police also suspect the employer threatened to send the workers back to Thailand if they told authorities about their employment.

The investigation is nearing completion. Police have heard from the 11 complainants and three suspects with the help of interpreters.

Pia Marttila, a special expert at Victim Support Finland, did not comment on the specific case, but said forestry workers who experience trafficking often face long working days with few breaks. Employer-provided accommodation may be poor or overcrowded, and workers may receive little or no pay, have no days off, or be unable to take sick leave.

Remote workplaces can make it harder to seek help, Marttila said. Workers may also fear deportation and being left with unpaid debts after paying large sums to secure work in Finland. The fees usually range from 10,000 to 20,000 euros and can reach 30,000 euros, she said. In their countries of origin, that can amount to several years of wages.

Threats of deportation are a common way to pressure workers, Marttila said. Forestry has been among the 10 most common sectors from which trafficking victims contact Victim Support Finland. The organisation has received 10 to 15 such cases a year over the past five years.

Victim Support Finland receives 300 to 400 new trafficking victims each year, and about 80 per cent have experienced labour exploitation. Marttila said the exploitation has not necessarily become more severe in recent years, but that methods of concealing it have developed.